Folding clothes-rack.



L. W. ADDISON & L. T. ARMSTRONG.

FOLDING CLOTHES RACK.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 9, 1908.

Patented June 15, 1909.

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Iii/fen '0717 IWW. ADDISON & L. T. ARMSTRONG.

FOLDING LOTHES RACK.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 9, 190s.

925,41 3. Patented' June 15, 1909.

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LEWIS w. ADDISON ANDLnwIsv TzA'RfMSTRoNe, or LIMA,

OHIO.

FOLDING 'eL'o'IIIEs-micK.l Y

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-rune 15,1909.

Application filed November 9, 1908. Serial No. 461,745.

T o all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, Lnwrs W. ADDISON and Lnwis T. ARMSTRONG, citizens of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ghio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Clothes-Racks, and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in folding clothes racks.

The object of the invention is to provide a `folding clothes rack which, when in an open',- or operative'position, provides the maximum amount of hanging or drying space, an which may be folded into a compact form when not in use.

A further object is to provide a rack of this character formed in detachable sections whereby when desired, the sections'may be separated and one or both of the sections used independently of the other.

lith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rack opened out for use; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same in folded position; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the central portion of the rack, the supporting standards, the inner ends of the arms, and the means for hingedly connecting the arms to the standards, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal Sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring Inore particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the rack which is formed in separable sections, each of which comprises a standard, 2, having on its lower end supporting feet, 3. To the inner sides of the standards, near their upper ends and midway between their ends, are arranged right-angularly projecting connecting bars, 4, said bars being preferably of a thickness equal to Onehalf of the thickness of the standards, and said bars are arranged adjacent to opposite edges of the standards so that when brought together, the bars will overlap and provide a flush connection between the standards. When the connecting bars have thus been engaged with each other, they are fastened .by means of bail-shaped clips, 5, the ends of vit stands.

which are secured'to vone of the connecting bars, while the other bar projects through the loop or bail-shaped portion of the clip, and is clamped by means of thumb screws, 6, which have a threaded engagement with the clips and have their inner ends engaging clamping plates, 7, arranged between the innerV side of the clips and the adjacent connecting bar. l/Vhen the thumb screws are screwed up in operative position, the connecting bars will be securely clamped together and the standards held in operative position to form a double rack.

h Secured to each of the standards are armsupporting brackets, 8, said brackets being preferably arranged opposite or in line with the connecting bars of the standards. The brackets, 8, comprise standard engaging arms, 9, and a series of radially projecting pairs of parallel lugs or.ears,.10, one pair of which projects in a direction opposite to the connecting bars of the standards, while the other two bars project in opposite directions at right-an les to the first-mentioned pair.

rlhe braclets, 8, arepreferably cast from suitable metal, are provided on their upper sides with stop plates, 12, portions of which project over the space between thepairs of lugs and form stops, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

Pivotally and slidably mounted between each pair of lugs, 10, are supporting arms,

13, said arms having formed therein longitudinally disposed horizontal slots, 14, which extend from near the inner end of the arm outwardly toward the outer end thereof, as shown. The outer ends of the arms, 13, are pivotally connected to supporting bars, 15, which, when the rack is in an operative position, engage the iioor or surface upon which the rack rests, and thereby form a firm support for the outer end of the clothes supporting arms, 13. When the arms, 13, are in an extended position, the inner ends of the same are engaged with the projecting edges of the stop plates, 12, said plates thereby holding the inner ends of the arms and preventing the outer ends of the same from dropping below a horizontal position should the rack be lifted from the surface on which Between the pivoted outer ends of the supporting arms, and vthe supporting bars, 15, are preferably arranged spacing washers,

16, said washers serving to prevent the arms, 13, and bars, 15, from binding when they are folded or unfolded to operative and inoperaj tive positions. On the outer end of the upper supporting arms are preferably secured line supportmg ho'ks;"17`,l with"which 'a clothes line may be engaged when desired, thereby increasing the hanging capacity of the rack. v

In opening or unfolding the rack to an op- I erative position, the 'siippbrting bars," 15, and the arms, 13, are raised between their respective pairs of pivot lugs'until the lower ends ofthe slots in the arms,`13, come into engagement with the pivot pins of the lugs', i at' which time the arms, 13,1 are swung 'ou-twardly to a horizontal position and the inner ends of the armsare thus moved upwardly between the Vpivot lugs and linto engagement with the stop plates, 12, on the brackets. The engagement of the V'arms with the stop plates limits the outward and downward movements of the arms, and holds the same in a horizontal position against dropping or downwardmovement. As the arms, :13, are thus swung outwardly to a horizontal position, the supporting bars pivoted to the outer ends thereofwill assume a vertical position and serve tosupport the outer ends of the arms. When it Iis desired to fold the rack, the supporting bars, 15, are Vmoved upwardly and inwardly toward the standards 2, until the arms, 13, assume a substantially vertical position between'the pivot lugs on the brackcts, 8, at which time the arms may be moved downwardly between said lugs until the outer ends of the slots in the arms come into engagement with the pivot pins in the lugs, l thus limiting the downward movement of the arms and holding the latter and the bar, i 15, in a folded position substantiallyA parallel with and in close proximity to the'standards, 2. f

While the rack is shown in the drawings as arranged in double form or having'the two sections lthereof clamped together, as herel inbefore described, it is obvious that by releasing the clamping device the sections may be readily separated or either one or both of the saine used' independently of the other.

From the foregoing description, taken in @litigation with the accompanying drawing, the construction and operation of the inventi'o'n"'will"be readilyiunderstood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes' in `the form,"'p`1 oportion andthe 'minor'detail's of' const'ru'ctinmay be resorted* to withoutdeparting fromfthe principle or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention'as'defined in the'a'ppendedclaim'. 2 Having thus described our invention, what we claimV as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent,is:

In afolding clothes rack, a pair of standards, a seriesof laterally"projecting, vertically spaced connecting 'bars projecting from the inner side edgeofV each standard, the bars of one standardadaptedtor register lwith those of the'other standard -when'ithe latter are arranged in operative position, clips having their'opposite'ends secured to the connectingbars of one standard and adapted to receive those of the otherstandard, clamping. plates arranged between Lthe clips andvth'e connecting -bars Vof'said last mentioned standard, thumb screws screwing through the 'clips against vsaid clamping plates, arm supporting brackets mounted upon the standards, folding arms pivoted to said brackets, and means' for supporting the arms in a horizontal position. 2 f

In testimony whereof :we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS W. ADDISON. LEWIS T; ARMSTRONG. Witnesses: Y

JOHN BUoKMAsTER, ALBERT B. SKELLL vso 

